International Educational Conference Post-conference publication | Page 47

For the Testimony House, as with other institutions, survivors are not able to visit as often

as before to meet with each group and share their testimonies. That's why the museum decided to invest in the creation of holograms of survivors giving testimony. These holograms are not interactive, but they give the impression that the survivor is sitting in front of the audience. Each testimony lasts between thirty and forty minutes. Another project that visitors encounter during their tour is the 'glass house.' It is an interactive performance that tells the story of the largest Budapest rescue operation during the Holocaust. Participants face choices throughout this activity, using a remote control to vote for decisions.

The museum's latest project during the pandemic was to acquire an original cattle car

from a German Holocaust museum. At the beginning of the visit, the entire class enters

the train car to become familiar with the transportation conditions and learn about the entire process that led victims to Auschwitz-Birkenau. One of the main goals of the Testimony House is not to focus on the horrors but to highlight glimpses of hope and optimism. They want

to show that great acts of kindness also happened among people as they helped each other. By no means are the VR tour or the other activities during the visit intended to make participants identify with the victims.

 

Rachel Rosenman-Ofer, photo: Press Office